Archeologists in Italy unearth ancient dolphin statuette

ROME (AP) — Excavations in the ancient city of Paestum in southern Italy have unearthed seven terracotta bull heads and a figurine of the Greek god Eros riding a dolphin. Italy’s culture ministry says the discoveries shine new light on the religious life and rituals of the ancient Greek city. Paestum is famed for its three massive, column-filled temples, and some constructions date back to 500 B.C. It is located near the better-known archaeological site of Pompeii, farther down the Almalfi coast. The new artifacts come from a sanctuary first discovered there in 2019. But excavations were delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boston remembers deadly marathon bombing 10 years later

BOSTON (AP) — The 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing is being marked with a wreath laying at the finish line to remember those who were killed, a day of community service and an event for the public to gather to reflect on the tragedy. Saturday’s anniversary lands two days before this year’s marathon and marks a decade since two bombs exploded near the finish line of the race, killing three and wounding more than 250 people. The explosions plunged Boston and its suburbs into a week of chaos amid a manhunt for two brothers who carried out the attack.

Resort famous for Elvis’ ‘Blue Hawaii’ movie will be rebuilt

HONOLULU (AP) — Demolition will soon begin on a resort once favored by Elvis Presley and other Hollywood royalty before it was heavily damaged by a hurricane three decades ago. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the Coco Palms Resort on the island of Kauai will be torn down for a new 350-room hotel. Construction is expected to take about three years. The resort is where Elvis Presley and Joan Blackman’s characters married in the 1961 movie “Blue Hawaii.” It was frequented by Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Bing Crosby. The 46-acre grounds were once home to Kauai’s last queen. A cultural center is planned to honor the property’s history.

Leak suspect yearned to join military but then regretted it

DIGHTON, Mass. (AP) — The Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking highly classified documents that have caused an international uproar had set his sights on joining the military from an early age. But more recently he had expressed disillusionment about having enlisted. Two of his former classmates told The Boston Globe that Teixeira revered the military and showed an early interest in joining, and was especially focused in the history of war and weapons. But a member of an online chat group with Teixeira, who spoke to AP but declined to give his name, said Teixeira often expressed regret about joining the military.

California man wore armor in hostage killing, report says

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A report says a suspect was wearing a body-armor vest last week when he took two hostages in a public park, killing one, wounding the other and opening fire at officers. Roseville police and Placer County prosecutors say California Highway Patrol officers approached Eric Abril on April 6 near Mahany Park in Roseville, northeast of Sacramento, but the confrontation turned violent and Abril took the married couple hostage. The Sacramento Bee reports that prosecutors say Abril was wearing body armor at the time. He was wanted for questioning in connection with a freeway shooting. Abril is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Online gaming chats have long been spy risk for US military

WASHINGTON (AP) — Step into a U.S. military recreation hall at a base almost anywhere in the world and you’re bound to see young troops immersed in the world of online games. The enthusiasm military personnel have for gaming — and the risk that carries — is in the spotlight after a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman was charged with illegally taking and posting highly classified material on a social media platform that started as a hangout for gamers. Online gaming forums have long been a particular worry of the military because of their lure for young service members. And U.S. officials are limited in how closely they can monitor those forums to make sure nothing on them threatens national security.

Wet winter gives way to colorful ‘Superbloom’ in US West

The tiny rain-fed wildflowers, no bigger than a few inches, are so vivid and abundant across California this year that their hues of purple, yellow and orange look like paint swatches from space. From the mist-shrouded San Francisco Bay Area to the Mexican border and across the deserts of Arizona there are flashes of color popping up following an unusually wet winter that experts say helped produce a so-called “Superbloom.” Experts say this year’s show is especially stunning because it is so widespread. Botanists say it is expected to last well into May with some areas just starting to bloom.

Friend of slain kids’ mom describes ‘zombie’ claims to jury

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The former friend of a mom accused in a triple-murder trial says the woman claimed some people were possessed by dark spirits. Four of those people were later killed or shot at. Melanie Gibbs testified in the Idaho murder trial Thursday. Lori Vallow Daybell has pleaded not guilty to murder, conspiracy and grand theft charges in the deaths of her two youngest kids and her new husband’s previous wife. Gibb says Vallow Daybell claimed her son, daughter and previous husband were possessed. All three were later killed. Gibb said Vallow Daybell also made the claim about another man who was later shot at.

Suspect in murder of Indiana teen girls wins prison transfer

DELPHI, Ind. (AP) — The suspect in the killing of two teenage girls in Indiana will be transferred to another state correctional facility after the suspect’s attorneys argued his physical and mental health was deteriorating after months in isolation. The Journal & Courier reports a judge ordered the transfer Friday, directing that Richard Matthew Allen be moved to an Indiana Department of Correction facility that will accommodate his physical and psychological needs. The Delphi man has been held in isolation at the maximum-security Westville Correctional Facility since early November for his protection. Allen is charged with murder in the 2017 killings of 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams. Allen has maintained his innocence.

Guitarist Mark Sheehan of Irish band The Script dies at 46

LONDON (AP) — Ireland’s president has led tributes to Mark Sheehan of Irish rock band The Script after the guitarist’s death at age 46. The band said Sheehan died in a hospital on Friday after a brief illness. In a statement, The Script called him a “much loved husband, father, brother, band mate and friend.” Formed in Dublin in 2001, The Script topped U.K. and Irish charts with its self-titled debut album in 2008. It included the hits “We Cry,” “Breakeven” and “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.” The band’s pop-inflected rock sound made it one of Ireland’s biggest bands in the 2010s. Irish President Michael D. Higgins praised the band’s “originality and excellence.”

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